On Monday, an envelope stuck from beneath Lina’s laptop at Key of Hope. She was alone in here, wasn’t she? She checked over her shoulder, but she’d locked the door she’d entered through. The windows and front entrance didn’t appear to have been disturbed. Dim and still, the practice rooms sheltered no intruders. The only discernible movement in the whole place was steam curling from the slow cooker she’d set up on the office area table.
After arriving back in Lakeshore yesterday, she’d swung by the grocery store for supplies, then baked cookies, made coleslaw, and cooked a batch of pulled pork. One less thing for the staff to worry about, if their weekend had been as frazzling as hers.
She took a seat and cast another look around. There had been no lessons this weekend. Who had been in here to drop off this envelope? The caution and worry linked straight back to Shane’s surprise appearance at the wedding. If he’d also found a way into Key of Hope, she might never feel safe again.
She slipped her finger under the flap, tore open the envelope, and read the short, typed letter inside.
To whom it may concern:
I’m resigning my position as bass guitar instructor for Key of Hope, effective 10:35 PM last Saturday. Though I’m sorry to leave, I couldn’t pass up a new opportunity.
Good luck breaking the news to Chris.
The signature was sloppy to the point of illegibility.
She laughed, once.
Matt wasn’t serious, was he?
The kiss had been memorable, but it didn’t warrant anyone quitting a job. Especially since, aside from their connection to Key of Hope, neither of them had reason to live in Lakeshore.
But what were they going to do? Return to the status quo? Ask Adeline if it was okay for them to date? She pressed her hand to her flaming cheek. The relationship wasn’t serious enough to warrant that, and Adeline was on her honeymoon anyway. By the time her boss returned, perhaps she’d have this figured out.
In the meantime, no sudden moves.
She slid the envelope in her desk drawer and sent Matt a text. Don’t quit just yet.
Matt parked on the crumbling asphalt behind Key of Hope. He’d put some extra miles on the Brownmobile this weekend. First, he’d driven down for the wedding. Then, once he’d gotten back to Lakeshore, he’d looked up Lina’s address. The rarity of her name made the search easy, meaning Shane could find it in seconds too—if the man hadn’t already gotten her location from her dad. It was a long shot that Matt might see something and be able to help, but he’d driven by a few times anyway.
The drive, fifteen minutes out and fifteen back to Lakeshore, had given him time to pray about Lina, Shane, and the things Philip had said at the wedding. He couldn’t shake the idea that they hadn’t seen the last of her ex, but in the areas of Awestruck and Lina, he didn’t sense the Lord telling him to hold back.
Lina had been coming in late morning and working into the evening, so around ten thirty a.m., he’d stopped by Key of Hope to check that the place was undisturbed and to leave his resignation.
The thought of his letter brought a smile as he pulled open the back door of the studio.
He’d hoped for more of a reaction when she found it, but at least she’d told him not to quit.
Other teachers and their students occupied the practice rooms as he advanced down the hall. Lina sat at her desk, her brown eyes focused on her laptop. If she’d worn any lipstick today, it had faded, but that was probably for the best. Her lush lips didn’t need the added allure of attention-grabbing colors. Especially when a kid sat in the waiting area.
Instead of lighting up on noticing him, she tilted her head with a guarded smile. “Hey.”
So they wouldn’t be picking up where they’d left off. Nothing good was ever easy, was it?
“Hey yourself.” He continued to the second computer and eyed the buffet next to it. “The weekend wasn’t busy enough for you?”
Lina shrugged. “I like to cook.”
She’d brought food in often enough to prove the claim, but her decision to take the time for her hobby yesterday made him wonder if there wasn’t more to her cooking than enjoyment. Maybe taking care of others distracted her from her own problems.
“Still no sign of Shane?”
“None.” She kept studying him as if … as if he were a sweater she’d purchased, and she had a case of buyer’s remorse.
He dropped into the seat at the second desk and woke the computer.
The screen sighed to life.
“We should talk about the other night,” Lina said.
“Yeah.” He swiveled away from the desk. If the jury was out on him, he’d do what he could to keep it from coming back. “What’d your dad say?”
“Oh.” Her throat shifted with a swallow. “He didn’t call me back. I’m going to try again tonight, after work.”
The front door bumped open, and Matt half-hoped the newcomer would turn out to be Shane. The red-and-yellow bruise on his cheek and alongside his nose must not be striking enough to earn her sympathy, but another run-in might show her the benefit of keeping him around.
But the new arrival was Tim, not Shane. With his crossed arms and glare, the manager appeared equally willing to launch an attack.
Matt swiveled back toward the desk and opened the app to punch in. The night before, Tim hadn’t returned to Lakeshore before Matt left the condo to drive by Lina’s once and report to the office building he cleaned. Normally, he wouldn’t need to put in a shift on a Sunday night, but he’d taken off Friday so he could head to Fox Valley for the wedding. The extra excuse to avoid Tim was a bonus.
The manager could say whatever he wanted about Gannon’s reaction to the fight. Only Gannon, or possibly John, could tell Matt how much of a setback the altercation had really been.
“I hope it was worth it.” Tired amusement carried Tim’s voice as he focused on Lina.
“What?” No doubt, the note of guilt in her voice traced back to their kiss.
As if Matt would’ve told Tim about it. As if the kiss were something to feel guilty about.
Matt hit the key to punch in harder than necessary.
“Introducing Matt to your ex. How’d you really expect that to go?”
Lina already harbored enough reservations about Matt without Tim implying he couldn’t control himself.
Matt jerked to his feet. “She didn’t introduce us, and don’t act like I’m some gorilla who can’t be trusted in polite company.”
“You got in a fight. At Gannon’s wedding. To anyone there who believed you’d changed, you looked like the same old clown up to the same old tricks.”
As if he needed a dressing down in front of Lina. But the rise of his own embarrassment gave him insight into Tim. “I embarrassed you. Is that it?” And now Tim was out to return the favor.
“You embarrassed yourself. Who wants to work with you now?”
The lesson in Matt’s normal room finished up, and the instructor and child made their way toward the front.
Unable to let his question go unanswered, Tim supplied his own reply. “Not even Awestruck.”
“I didn’t want it anyway.” The lie hit harder than Shane’s fist had, but denying his interest in the band was easier than admitting the truth—he’d wanted the spot and jeopardized it by not finding a peaceful solution.
Like so many other things he’d jeopardized.
The Lord had been gracious to protect and restore so much for him already. Matt might not sense the Lord cautioning him against Awestruck because God had already closed that door. If so, nothing Matt could do would reopen it.
Chris tromped in off the street, and his grin brought a smile even to Matt’s face. Matt played up the handshake, since the ritual might be the day’s highlight for both him and the kid, and they proceeded to the practice room.
Pressure built in Lina’s chest and throat. Explanations waiting to be shared.
Why hadn’t Matt stood up for himself? Even if he didn’t want to work with Awestruck again, why let them think badly of him when the fight hadn’t been his fault?
“This smells amazing.” The lid of the slow cooker rattled behind her as Tim perused the mini buffet. “You mind?”
“Have at it. And take some home.” Normally, she’d get up to make sure he filled one of the to-go containers she’d brought, but today, she let him fend for himself.
In the practice room, Chris dropped his book bag and jacket, talking the whole time. Matt shut the door and sat across from him, listening. When Matt did speak, Chris’s grin got even wider. The boy picked up his tale again, his hand motions more exuberant.
Matt really had a way with his students.
He wore jeans and a simple gray shirt that cozied up to the fit shape of his shoulders. Shoulders that seemed broader than before the weekend. His scars, more intriguing.
A figment of her imagination, spurred on by the way he’d used those shoulders and earned an injury to protect her. He’d been attractive before. She’d simply been better at ignoring it.
“He doesn’t know how hard he makes it to do my job.” Tim took up station next to her desk, hunched over his plate, and tried the sandwich before continuing.
Lina crossed her legs, still peering at Matt. Either he really didn’t care about songwriting for Awestruck, or he was protecting her privacy by allowing her to choose how much to share about Shane. His willingness to take the fall—something Shane never would’ve done—again proved his consideration for her.
She had to return the favor—hoping that he would consider it a favor. “Shane—the man he fought with—was hurting me, and Matt didn’t throw the first punch. They didn’t get that in the pictures I saw.”
Tim’s brow drew low. “Are you all right?”
She slipped a finger beneath the cuff of her light sweater and moved the sleeve back from her wrist to check again that no bruise had surfaced. She found only her pale skin, a freckle or two, and the usual map of bluish veins. Unbelievable, considering how Shane’s grip had burned. “Thanks to Matt, I’m fine. But if any rumors are painting Shane as anything other than a gambler with a temper, they’ve got it wrong.”
Tim put his plate down and crossed his arms. “Why didn’t I know you had an ex like that?”
“Because I didn’t know he’d follow me here, and I certainly never expected him to crash the wedding.” She pushed her sleeve back into place. “Besides, I’m only telling you so you don’t blame Matt. Shane’s not your problem.”
Tim lifted his eyebrows, silently telling her to reconsider that statement.
Shane had affected Matt and to a lesser extent, Gannon. Tim would go to any lengths to defend his assets.
She sighed. “Right. What was I thinking?”
“Is he going to keep showing up?” Tim managed a group of men. They probably responded better to his bossy and gruff manner than she wanted to.
“Hard to say.” An image of Shane slithered to mind. The tension in his face as he’d grown more desperate. “I didn’t expect any of this.”
“You live alone in the country.” He waited, but if he expected her to disagree, she couldn’t. “You shouldn’t come and go by yourself. Here or there.”
Lina lifted an eyebrow. “Are you volunteering to escort me?”
His expression soured. “Do you have any kind of security system?”
“A couple of motion-activated doorbell cameras.” To date, they had only captured images of Lina and woodland creatures. She’d stopped paying much attention to the notifications until returning home on Sunday. Since turning up the app’s sound, she’d jumped each time it went off. A family of raccoons seemed to enjoy waddling across her driveway.
“What time do you go home?”
“I don’t have a firm plan for tonight.” But Matt’s last lesson ended at six thirty, and if she stayed, she could probably snag a couple of minutes with him before he rushed off to wherever he needed to be next. “Six thirty or seven?”
“Make it six, and you’ve got yourself a deal.”
“A deal?”
“I’ll meet you here and make sure you get home safe. I can probably swing following you into town most days too. You don’t come in most of the time until almost lunch, right?”
She blinked at him. If she hadn’t already said she didn’t have a firm plan, she’d decline tonight’s offer for the chance of talking with Matt. But given Matt’s loaded schedule, he probably wouldn’t be able to accompany her home, and maybe Tim had a point. Maybe she shouldn’t be alone. Just in case.
Of course, she would be alone when she was in her house, but maybe arrivals and departures were when trouble was most likely. Especially the routine trips, like driving to and from work. Hopefully random outings to run errands didn’t require the same precautions, because she didn’t want to lose the independence to leave when she wanted. Besides, she’d hate to ask anyone to go so far out of their way for her.
Even the offer to follow her to and from work seemed extravagant. “You’re sure?”
“I’m not a gorilla either.”
He’d prove that claim more easily by sitting instead of wolfing down his meal while pacing the office, but Lina held her peace. He finished eating and left her to complete her work day.
She mindlessly checked off tasks as she told herself over and over again to appreciate the space from Matt. After her bad decisions with Shane, she needed to be cautious. So, as six neared, she shut down her computer. No sooner had that screen darkened than her phone lit up.
The sight of Dad’s number twisted her stomach. She’d much prefer another false alarm involving raccoons. She would let his call go to voicemail, but she hadn’t left enough information in her own message for Dad to know why she’d called. They needed to have a conversation.
In the sitting area, Matt’s next lesson waited while he finished with thirteen-year-old Luke. Carrie worked with a young violinist in another practice room. For privacy, Lina would have to step outside or into the back hall. Since it was a cool September evening, she opted for the hall, swiping to answer.
Pleasantries with Dad were short, as always.
As they petered out, the front door opened, and Tim blustered in. When he spotted her in the back, he lifted his eyebrows.
Lifting a finger, she stepped out of sight and sat on the staircase. The back hall was one of the only dim places in Key of Hope. Since she hadn’t flicked on the light in the stairwell, the only illumination came through the frosted glass window in the door leading outside.
She leaned her shoulder on the wall, her head tipped against the railing. “Shane has been reaching out to me. He showed up at Gannon’s wedding and caused quite a scene.”
“Oh?” Dad’s tone embodied false innocence.
“He said you sent him.”
“Why would I do that?”
Really? He wouldn’t own his actions, even after his accomplice had implicated him? Maybe the consequences of what he’d done would coax him to take some ownership. “I have to imagine it’s because you didn’t believe me that he’s untrustworthy. It’s been over a year, and he still hasn’t returned a dime of what he gambled away. He’s also violent. He started a fist fight in the lobby.”
“I certainly would have no part in violence.”
“Then why, when all else failed, did he try to talk me into selling The Captain’s Vista?”
“He must want the commission.”
“He’s representing you in the sale?” Lina picked at her thumbnail with tense fingers. “You both stand to earn more if I give up The Captain’s Vista.”
Dad scoffed. “Lina, please.”
Anger simmered in her chest. “You said you were sending a gift, and not long after, Shane showed up, claiming you sent him.”
“It was a gift.” His voice snapped with accusation. “I happen to have the utmost respect for the man, and he’s convinced he wants to win you back. You could do much worse, so I decided to help him show you reason, but I obviously can’t make up your mind for you. If you’re bent on rejecting him, you will.”
Lina’s disappointment settled in like a mangy cat. “He started a fist fight at Gannon Vaughn’s wedding.”
“That was not my doing.”
She could mention the way Shane had grabbed her, but he wouldn’t believe her without the same kind of proof required to obtain a restraining order. She focused instead on her dad’s side of the situation. “What was your doing? The idea? The airplane ticket?” Her arm felt too weak to keep holding the phone to her ear. She adjusted to rest her elbow on her knee. “All of it?”
“People make mistakes, Lina. You’re alone in this world because you wrote off the man you intended to marry over one perceived lapse in judgment. He’s offered to pay you back repeatedly, but you won’t return his calls, so what’s he supposed to do?”
“That’s not true.”
He continued over her. “Without a family, who will you leave your fortune to? Or do you intend to spend it all?”
She was still plenty young to start a family, if the Lord chose to provide the right man. If not, she’d handpicked charities as her beneficiaries. But the part about spending it all didn’t deserve a reply.
Dad wasn’t in the listening mood anyway. “I suppose you’ll squander it through mismanagement, not spending.”
“You’re the one who’s lost fortunes, Dad, not me.”
“This conversation has run its course. I’ll let you go.” He disconnected.
Lina’s arm slumped away from her ear. She’d thought she and her father would someday mend their rift, but his involvement in Shane’s return to her life seemed to suggest the chasm between them, dug by his disregard for her, was too great. Matt had been right to suggest she set boundaries with Shane, and she ought to establish some with her father as well.
If only boundaries would heal her aching heart.